Ratchet mechanism



Jan. 19, 1965 R' K. DAUGHERTY 3,165,936

RATCHET MECHANISM Filed March 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. RALPH K. DAUGHE/PTV M MJ/7 ATTOP/VEV Jan. 19, 1965 R. K. DAuGHl-:RTY 3,165,936

RATCHET MECHANISM Filed March 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RALPH K DAUGHETV United States liatent 1 3,165,936 RATCHET MECHANISM Ralph K. Daugherty, San `lose, Calif., assigner of onev half to Genevieve I. Magnuson, and one-half to Genevieve I. Magnuson, Robert Magnuson, and Lois J. Fox, as trustees Filed Mar. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 162,172 6 Claims. (Cl. 74-126) This invention relates to a ratchet adapted to be driven by a solenoid for rotating a switch mechanism and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved ratchet which is adapted to operate switch mechanisms or the like repeatedly over long periods of time without requiring servicing or replacement.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved rotatable solenoid driven ratchet combination which is adapted for rapidly repeating operation and is constructed so that it will operate over long periods of time with a minimum of wear and service required.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved rotatable ratchet mechanism that is adapted to be actuated by a solenoid having a rotatable armature connected to the driver member of the ratchet, and the driver member of the ratchet being connected to a detent and switch mechanism so that the detent and switch mechanism is rotated in uniform steps by the back-and-forth operation of the solenoid armature and ratchet mechanism.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved rotatable solenoid driven ratchet mechanism for operating a rotatable contactor of a switch and a detent mechanism, the driving member of the ratchet being connected to the armature of the solenoid and being adapted to drive the driven member of the ratchet so that this in turn moves the detent beyond its peak before the pawls of the driving member release the driven member, and

thereafter the detent springs move the switch to its full contact position.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification, claims and drawings.

Referring to the drawing briefly:

FIG. l is a side view partially in section of an embodiment of this invention;

FiG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing the relative positions of the driving and driven members of the ratchet lduring a cycle of operation thereof; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the detent position prior to its completing the shifting of the switch wiper Contact.

Referring to the drawing in detail, there is shown in FIG. 1 a side View partially in section of an embodiment of this apparatus in which the ratchet mechanism 10 is employed to transmit rotary motion from the rotary solenoid mechanism 11 to the switch mechanism 16. For this purpose the driving member 13 of the ratchet mechanism is mounted on the square shaft 12 of the rotary solenoid, and the driven member 14 of the ratchet is mounted on the square shaft 15 that extends through the star wheel 18 of the detent mechanism. The outer end of the shaft 15 is attached to the hub 17 of the switch wiper or contact arm17a.

The rotary solenoid 11 may be of the type disclosed in the Smith-Daughtery Patent 2,950,424, issued on August 23, 1960, modified so that the rotatable shaft 12 extends 3,155,535 Patented Jan. 19 1965 through the central core member of the solenoid and is fixedly attached to the armature 19 at the outer end thereof. The winding 22 is provided around the central core member of the solenoid mechanism and outer core members 20 and 21 are disposed from the outside of the winding 22 on opposite sides thereof so that the ends of these outer core members 20 and 21 opposite the opposite ends of the armature 19 assume like magnetic poles. The ends of the armature 19 and opposing faces of the outer poles 20 and 21 are shaped as disclosed in the aforesaid patent. A plate 23 of nonmagnetic material is attached to the armature 19 and this plate cooperates with projections 24 and 25 on the outer core members to limit rotation of the armature. Other types of rotary solenoid mechanisms, for example such as disclosed in application Serial No. 715,230 led Febraury 14, 1958 by Louis P. Lazzarini and assigned to a common assignee, now Patent No. 3,072,830, may be employed in place of the rotary solenoid structure illustrated, if desired.

A plate 3i) is attached to the housing of the rotary solenoid by means of machine screws 31, and this plate is provided with a centrally displosed bearing part 32 for receiving the bearing member 33 which is positioned on the square shaft 15. This plate member 30 thus provides a bearing support for the shaft 15 which extends from the driven member 14 of the ratchet to the detent and switch. The detent mechanism is provide with a star wheel 18 Which is shaped as illustrated in FG. 3. This star wheel is made with a plurality of diametrically opposed notches or recesses 34, each of which is formed by gradually sloping side surfaces cut or formed in the member 18, and these recesses are adapted to receive the small balls 35 which are pressed by means of springs 36 into the recesses 34.

Springs 36 are lodged in cavities 37 formed in the member 38, and the star wheel 18 is positioned in a circular hole 39 formed in this member. A square hole 4-9 is formed in the center of the star wheel 18 for receiving the square shaft 15. The detent mechanism, including the star wheel 18, balls 35 and springs 36, is assembled in the member 38 between the plates 41 and 42, and this assembled mechanism is attached to the switch 16 by ma chine screws 43. The switch'mechanismincludes the wiper 17a, which is attached to the hub 17, and a plurality of contacts 17b which are supported on an insulation panel and they are arranged in a circle as shown in FIG. 2.

Details of the ratchet mechanism 16 are shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7. These views show different positions assumed by the driving member 13 of the ratchet with respect to the driven member 14 during a cycle of operation thereof. FlG. 4 shows the relative positions of these members at the beginning of the driving cycle. At this time the two pawl members 46 of the driving member 13 are positioned in the slots 45 with parts of the forward faces 46a thereof pressed into engagement with the relatively long sides 53 of the recesses 51 on opposite sides of the driven member 14. The forward ends of the pawl 46 are projected out of the grooves 45 a short distance by the springs 50 which are lodged in suitable cavities 49 formed in the central part 48 of the driving member 13. The outer ends of these springs 51B project into recesses 47 formed in the pawls 46 so that these springs function to exert pressure on the pawls 46 and cause the forward ends thereof to be pressed out of the slots 45.

The recesses 51 in the driven member 14 are formed with a relatively long gradually sloping side 53 and with a relatively short or abrupt side 52. Thus when the forward ends of the pawls 46 are brought into engagement with the relatively short abrupt sides 52 of the recesses 51, the pawls 46 function to lock the driving member 13 to the driven member 14 so that the driving member can rotate the driven member in the clockwise direction.

As previously mentioned, the relative positions of the driving member 13 and driven member 14 at the beginning of the driving cycle are shown in FIG. 4, and at this point the forward edges between face 46a and side 46b of each of the pawls 4d engagethe sides 53 of the respective recesses 51 on opposite sides of the driven member 14. Thus, when an electric current is applied to the winding of the solenoid 22, a slight rotation is imparted to the shaft 12 before these forward edges of the pawls 46 engage the sides 52 substantially at the apex of the angle formed between the sides 52 and 53.

In this way the solenoid armature and driving member 13 develop a certain momentum before the load formed by the driven member 14 and switch wiper mechanism is assumed by the solenoid armature. This load is assumed when the driving member 13 is in the position shown in FIG. 5 With respect to the driven member 14, and at this time the forward ends of the pawl 46 are extended as far as they will go into the recesses 51. The driven member 14 is then rotated through a predetermined angle in the clockwise direction and the members 13 and 1alassume the position shown in FIG. 6. This position of the members 13 and 14 corresponds to the position of the star Wheel 1S of the detent shown in FG. 8, since the star wheel 18 is connected to the square shaft 15 to which the driven member 14 is also connected. This driven member will then be carried further forward through a small angle until the pawls 3b', whichare under spring tension supplied by the springs 36, are pressed as far as they will go into the associated recesses 34. This causes the star wheel 13 and the driven member 14 to be rotated through a small angle so that the member 14 assumes the position with respect to the driving member 13, shown in FIG. 7.

A suitable coil spring 55, one end of which is attached to the shaft 12 and the other end of which is attached by means of the member 56 to the housing of the solenoid, is provided for returning the shaft 12 to its starting position shown in FIG. 4, during which time the forward edges of the pawls 46 wipe across the faces 53, which are of more gradual slope than the faces 52, of the recesses 51 in which these forward ends were lodged during the ldriving of the member 14. The rearward ends of the pawls 46 are shaped by cutting away parts thereof so that these ends do not engage surfaces of the recesses in member 14 during the forward or return movement. The driving member 13 is thus returned to its starting position and is positioned so that the pawls thereof are ready to engage the succeeding recesses of member 14 when the next current impulse is fed to the winding of the solenoid. Thus, as pulses of current are fed to the solenoid winding the switch wiper 17a is advanced from one contact 17h to the next. These pulses may be supplied by a suitable local battery and an interrupter or they may be transmitted over a line from a remote point.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is capable of variation and modilication from the form shown so that its scope should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

l. A ratchet mechanism comprising a shaft, means operatively connected to said shaft for rotating back and forth through a predetermined angle, means for converting said back and forth rotation to step by step rotation in one direction comprising a driving member connected to said shaft, said driving member having a pair of parallel slots, a driven member disposed parallel to said driving member, said driven member having an annular portion with a plurality of recesses, one side of each of said recesses having a more gradual slope than the other, a pawl slidably supported in each of said pair of slots, means urging one end of each of said pawls to project from said driving member into engagement with selected ones of said recesses so that when said driving member is rotated in one direction said pawls engage the abrupt slope of said selected recesses and cause rotation of said driven member in the same direction and when said driving member is rotated in the opposite direction said pawls slide over the more gradual slope of said selected recesses without rotating said driven member, and a second shaft connected to said driven member to be rotated therewith.

2. In a ratchet for operating a switch mechanism the combination comprising a shaft, ay solenoid having an armature connected to said shaft7 means operatively associated with said solenoid for rotating said armature and said shaft back and forth through a predetermined angle, means for converting said back and forth rotation to step by step rotation in one direction comprising a driving member connected to said shaft, said driving member having a pair of parallel slots, a driven member disposed parallel to said driving member, said driven member having an annular portion with a plurality of recesses, one side of each of said recesses having a more gradual slope than the other, a pawl slidably supported in each of said pair of slots, means urging one end of each of said pawls to project from said driving member into engagement with selected ones of said recesses so that when said driving member is rotated in one direction said pawls engage an abrupt slope of said selected recesses and cause rotation of said driven member in the same direction and when said driving member is rotated in the opposite direction said pawls slide over the more gradual slope of said selected recesses without rotating said driven member, an electric switch connected to said driven member to be rotated therewith and means for causing said switch to be rotated in uniform steps.

3. Rotatable solenoid driven ratchet for operating a switch mechanism comprising a shaft, a solenoid having an armature connected to said shaft, means operatively associated with said solenoid for rotating said armature and said shaft back and forth through a predetermined angle, means for converting said back and forth rotation to step by step rotation in one direction comprising a substantially round driving member connected to said shaft, said driving member having a pair of parallel slots on opposite sides of said shaft, a driven member disposed parallel to said driving member, said driven member having an annular portion with a plurality of recesses, one

side of each of said recesses having a more gradual slope than the other, a pawl slidably supported in each of said pair of slots, means urging one end of each of said pawls to project from the periphery of said driving member into engagement with selected ones of said recesses on diametrically opposed sides of said driven member so that when said driving member is rotated in one direction said pawls engage an abrupt slope of said selected recesses and cause rotation of said driven member in the same direction, and when said driving member is rotated in the opposite direction said pawls slide over the more gradual slope of said selected recesses Without rotating said driven member, an electric switch connected to said driven member to be rotated therewith and means for causing said switch to be rotated in uniform steps.

4. A ratchet mechanism comprising a shaft, means operatively connected to said shaft for rotating back and forth through a predetermined angle, means for con,- verting said back and forth rotation to step by step rotation in one direction comprising a driving member connected to said shaft, said driving member having a pair of parallel slots, a driven member disposed parallel to said driving member, said driven member having an annular portion with a plurality of recesses, one Side Of each of said recesses having a longer and more gradual slope and the other side of each of said recesses being substantially shorter and having an abrupt slope, a Pawl slidably Supported in each of said pair of slots,

aisasse means urging an end part of each of said pawls to project from saiddriving member so that the projecting end parts of said pawls are substantially diametrically opposed, each of said projecting end parts having a front face and a side face that is substantially parallel to a side of the slot in which the pawl is positioned, the front face of each of said pawls facing a longer side of a selected recess of said driven member and the side face of each projecting end part of each of said pawls engaging a short abrupt side of the same recess to lock said driving member to said driven member for driving said driven member in one direction, the front faces or said pawls being adapted to slide over the longer gradually sloping sides of said recesses Without driving said driven member when said driving member rotates in the opposite direction.

5. A ratchet mechanism comprising a shaft, means operatively connected to said shaft for rotating back and forth through a predetermined angle, means for converting said back and forth rotation to step by step rotation in one direction comprising a substantially round driving member connected to said shaft, said driving member having a pair of parallel slots formed into one side of said driving member, said slots being positioned on opposite sides of said shaft, a driven member disposed parallel to said driving member, said driven member having an annular portion with a plurality of recesses, one side of each of said recesses having a longer and more gradual slope and the other side of each of said recesses being substantially shorter and having an abrupt slope, a pawl slidably supported in each of said pair of slots, means urging an end part of'each of said pawls to project from said driving member so that the projecting end parts of said pawls are substantially diametrically opposed, each of said projecting end parts having a front face and a side face that is substantially parallel to a side of the slot in which the pawl is positioned, the front face of each of said pawls facing a longer side of a selected recess of said driven member and the side face of each projecting end part of each of said pawls engaging a short abrupt side of the same recess to lock said driving member to said driven member for driving said driven member in one direction, the front faces of said pawls being adapted to slide over the longer gradually sloping sides of said recesses Without driving said driven member when said driving member rotates in the opposite l direction.

6. A ratchet mechanism comprising a shaft, means operatively connected to said shaft for rotating back and forth through a predetermined angle, means for converting said back and forth rotation to step by step rotation in one direction comprising a substantially round driving member connected to said shaft, said driving iember having a pair of parallel slots subtending said substantially round driving member on opposite sides of sai-d shaft, a driven member disposed parallel to said driving member, said driven member having an annular portion with a plurality of spaced recesses, one side of each of said recesses hav-ing a longer and more gradual slope and the other side of each of said recesses being substantially shorter and having an abrupt slope, a pawl siidably supported in each of said pair of slots, each of said pawls having a length substantially equal to that of the corresponding slot, means urging an end part of each of said pawls to project from said driving member so that the projecting end parts of said pawls are substantiaily diametrically opposed, eacn of said projecting end parts having a front face and a side face that is substantially parallel to a side of the slot in which the pawl is positioned, the front face of each of said pawls facing a longer side of a selected recess of said driven member and the side face of each projecting end part of each of said pawls engaging a short abrupt side of the same recess to lock said driving member to said driven member for driving said driven member in one direction, the front faces of said pawls being adapted to slide over the longer gradually sloping sides of said recesses without driving said driven member when said driving member rotates in the opposite direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,395,681 Gdum et al Feb. 26, 1946 2,459,564 Latta Jan. 18, 1949 2,463,536 Hitt Mar. 8, 1949 2,489,626 Doucette Nov. 29, 1949 

1. A RATCHET MECHANISM COMPRISING A SHAFT, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATING BACK AND FORTH THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE, MEANS FOR CONVERTING SAID BACK AND FORTH ROTATION TO STEP BY STEP ROTATION IN ONE DIRECTION COMPRISING A DRIVING MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT, SAID DRIVING MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL SLOTS, A DRIVEN MEMBER DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID DRIVING MEMBER, SAID DRIVEN MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR PORTION WITH A PLURALITY OF RECESSES, ONE SIDE OF EACH OF SAID RECESSES HAVING A MORE GRADUAL SLOPE THAN THE OTHER, A PAWL SLIDABLY SUPPORTED IN EACH OF SAID PAIR OF SLOTS, MEANS URGING ONE END OF EACH OF SAID PAWLS TO PROJECT FROM SAID DRIVING MEMBER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SELECTED ONES OF SAID RECESSES SO THAT WHEN SAID DRIVING MEMBER IS ROTATED IN ONE DIRECTION SAID PAWLS ENGAGE THE ABRUPT SLOPE OF SAID SELECTED RECESSES AND CAUSE ROTATION OF SAID DRIVEN MEMBER IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND WHEN SAID DRIVING MEMBER IS ROTATED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION SAID PAWLS SLIDE OVER THE MORE GRADUAL SLOPE OF SAID SELECTED RECESSES WITHOUT ROTATING SAID DRIVEN MEMBER, AND A SECOND SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVEN MEMBER TO BE ROTATED THEREWITH. 